It is with great pleasure that we invite you to join us at the World Psychiatric Association's Thematic Congress,
Innovation in Psychiatry: Effective Interventions for Health and Society in Melbourne Australia, 25-28 February 2018.
This first congress of the new WPA term will be different in both tone and ambition from international forums of recent years. We aim to face up to the challenges of innovation, novelty and reform to make psychiatry more relevant and effective for people with, and at risk of, mental illness around the world.
New ideas, new discoveries, new ways of implementing advances and new technological solutions are fundamental to the work of modern 21st Century psychiatry. The Congress theme of innovation captures this imperative.
Participants will be challenged to consider how effective mental health programs can be co-designed and scaled up across the globe. Psychiatry is part of the public health system, relevant to health promotion, prevention and health care. We'll look at how a revitalised and redesigned psychiatry can offer a great deal to society including longer more productive lives and stronger economies. Unlike other non-communicable diseases, mental illness is a domain where major return on investment is possible; we'll discuss the major rethink that's required in how care is conceived and delivered to realise this possibility. We'll talk about how timing in the life cycle and illness stage are critical, while cultures of care and use of the Internet and technology are foci for innovation. We'll also consider the political momentum we can generate through presentation of a united front with the public, people affected by mental ill-health, families and friends, community groups, scientific researchers and all mental health professionals.
Decisive choices, strategic partnerships and antidotes to inertia are needed. Don't miss out on being a part of these important discussions – join us in Melbourne in 2018!
We look forward to seeing you there.